Paper fastener



J.UNSKY PAPER'FASTENER Aug. 27, 1935.

Filed Dec. 5, 1934 INVEN 40 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 27, 1935 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE PAPER FASTENEB.

Jack Linsky, New York, N. Y.

Application December 5, 1934, Serial No. 756,070

19 Claims.

a retaining member having a hingedly associated but slidable lockingcover adapted to hold flexible and foldable arms of a strap in a bentrelation and 4 against the retaining member for securing a stack ofpapers and/or cardboard together.

The invention has as an object to provide a functionally andstructurally improved fastener in which foldable arms of a flexiblestrap posi tion in alinement the sheets of paper or the like to befastened and in which the arms removably guide a retaining membercarrying a slidable locking cover which includes means adapted tointerlock with the retaining member to hold the flexible arms in a bentposition and against the retaining member.

The invention has as a further object the provision of a paper fastenercomprising a keeper or retaining member having an arcuate hollow beadwhich serves as a longitudinal fulcrum and rectilinear guide for anassociated hollow bead of a swingable locking cover which in the closedposition thereof cooperates to sustain flexible arms of a U-shapedmember in a bent relation to urge the retaining member against theuppermost sheet of a stack of papers or appropriately hold suitablecovers of a binder in the required clamping relation against anintervening stack of papers.

The invention has as a further object to provide a novel'paper fastenerembodying aswingable and slidable locking cover which is hingedlyconnected to a retaining member comprising means for receiving foldableand flexible arms of a U- shaped complementary clamping strap, the armsbeing foldable towards each other and against the retaining member andcooperating with the slidable cover to hold the latter in anon-shiftable position after having been slidably interlocked with theretaining member.

Further objects, advantages and features of the invention will appear asthe description herein progresses attention being new directed to theaccompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 15a perspective view of my paper fastener illustrating theslidable cover thereof in a closed and locked position holding severalsheets of paper or the like together.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the locking cover closed butin an unlocked position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the fastener,

showing the hinged locking cover raised and unlocked.

Fig. 4 is a plain view of .Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-.-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 illustrates an exploded or disassembled view of the fastenerbefore the slidable cover is hingedly mounted on the retaining memberand the latter on the U-shaped strap and Fig. 8 is a section on the line8 8 of Fig. 3.

According to the invention, the fastener comprises complementaryclamping members II) and II in the form of relatively thin sheet metalstampings. Clamping member I0 is a U-shaped strap and includes ahorizontal bar l2 having integral upstanding foldable and flexiblespaced arms I3. As shown, bar I2 includes a plurality of spacedlongitudinally disposed hollow reinforcing ribs I4.

Complementary clamping member I I is in the form of an elongated plateI5 having spaced transversely disposed slots I6. The rear side of plateI5 is provided with an integral hollow curved bead or arcuately reflexedportion I'l coextensive with the length thereof. The front side of plateI5 is provided with a hollow integral bead or arcuately reflexed portionl8 which includes spaced recesses or cut away portions l9 and 20.

The rear bead I1 is provided with a struck out intermediately disposedlug or stop 2| which serves to limit lateral displacement of a hingedlyassociated cover or locking plate, generally designated 22, whichcomprises a body having a substantially trapezoidal cross section asillustrated in Fig. 6 with front and rear inclined sides 23 and 24thereof each including curved hollow spaced beads or reflexed portions25 and 26.

The rear bead I'I slidably receives spaced beads 25 and 26 of the rearinclined wall 24 and to prevent transverse separation of the swingablecover 22 relative to the retaining member, the free terminal 21 ofoutside head I! is bent slightly inwardly towards the free terminals 28of the inside rear beads 25 and 26 although slightly spaced therefrom.In other words, beads 25 and 26 of rear inclined wall 24 aretelescopically associated with bead l1 and form ahinged connectionpermitting the cover to swing towards and away from the retaining memberabout a rear edge .thereof as an axis. By reason of the telescopicassociation of the rear beads of the cover with the rear head of theretaining member the cover maybe laterally and slidabh displacedrelativeto the retaining member. In this connection inner ends 29 and 30of beads 25 and 26 of inclined wall 24 widely straddle the sides of stoplug 2| and cooperate therewith to limit lateral displacement of thecover. More particularly spaced ends 29 and 30 constitute a gap 3| inwhich lug 2| extends, the gap being considerably longer than the lengthof lug 2|.

The forward beads 25 and 26 of inclined wall 23 are spaced apart andform an elongated chan nel or recess 32 adapted to receive reflexed part33 of the forward bead l8 of the retaining member or keeper l5, forexample, see Fig. 2, in which the cover is shown closed but in anonlocked position. In this position, the forward bead 25 is disposedwithin recess I9 and forward bead 2B is arranged in part in recess 20 ofthe retaining member. In this position the slidable and hinged coveroverhangs the retaining member and the end 29 is against stop lug 2| andhence the cover cannot further be displaced to the right.

With the cover disposed as illustrated in Fig. 2, the cover may be swungbodily rearwardly until the free terminals 21 and 28 interlock as shownin Fig. 8. Consequently further rearward displacement of the coverrelative to the retaining member is prevented. In such position thecover may be considered as open and access is had to the flexible bentarms |3 of the U shaped strap if they had been previously threadedthrough the transverse slots l6 of the retaining member.

In Figs. 1 and 5, a stack of papers 35 are secured by the fasteningdevice according to the invention. These papers or flexible elements arefirst appropriately perforated and subsequently are moved downwardly andguided on the upstanding spaced arms |3 of strap I0 with the bottompaper or sheet of the stack against the reinforced bar l2. Followingthis, retaining member 5 is placed over arms I3 and these arms arepassed into slots l6 after which the retaining member is dropped againstthe topmost sheet of the stack. The flexible arms l3 are bent inwardlyand towards each other as illustrated in Fig. 3. With the cover in theposition illustrated in Fig. 3, it is manually swung bodily anddownwardly towards the retaining member, pivoting on the rear hingedconnection, flexing the arms |3 downwardly against the upper rectilinearface of the retaining member. With manual pressure still applied toovercome the resiliency of the flexible arms, which would automaticallyraise the cover in the event this pressure were removed, the cover takesthe position illustrated in Fig. 2, to wit, bead 33 of the retainingmember is disposed or registered in channel 32 of the cover, the forwardbead 25 is in registration with recess I9 and forward bead 26 is in partdisposed in recess 20.

The cover may now be bodily and slidably moved to the left upon theapplication of a laterally directed finger pressure on the centrallydisposed knurled boss 36. With a slight lateral with beaded portions 31and 33 respectively, the

sloping walls 23 and 24 urge the flexible bent arms l3 downwardly andconsequently the sheets movable retaining member havingtrapezoidalshaped end lugs 39 and 40 which are flush with thecorresponding ends of the slidable cover when the latter is in a closedand locked position to prevent ingress of undesirable particles such asdust or the like within chamber 38.

The retaining member may be readily and conveniently disconnected fromthe strap for the insertion of a new sheet to the stack 35 or where itis desired to replace one sheet by another. To this end, the cover ismanually moved to the right until abutment end 29 strikes stop lug 2|.In this position, as previously stated, the cover is unlocked fromtheretaining member and if at this time manual pressure be removed, thecover opens automatically due to the resiliency of the folded cover isclosed and subsequently shifted to the left to its locked position.

In the broader aspect of the invention, I do not desire to be understoodas limiting its embodiment to details herein shown illustratively as awide variety of modifications may be made within the scope of theappended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a fastener, the combination of, a strap comprising flexible andfoldable arms, a retaining member removably mounted on said arms, and acover longitudinally slidable relative to said member hingedly connectedto said member and adapted to hold said arms thereagainst.

2. In a fastener, the combination of, a strap for supporting sheets ofpaper'and comprising flexible arms, a retaining member removably mountedon said arms, a cover having a hinged and longitudinal shiftableconnection with said retaining member and means for holding said coverremovably interlocked with said retaining member.

3. In a fastener, the combination of, a strap for supporting a pluralityof flexible elements and comprising flexible upstanding arms, aretaining member removably guided by said arms and. adapted to rest onthe uppermost element of said plurality, said arms being foldable towardeach other to sustain said retaining member against said uppermostelement, and a cover having a slidable and swinging connection with saidretaining member adapted to urge said arms towards and against thelatter, said cover and retaining member comprising slidable anddisconnectable interlocking means for holding said flexible arms againstsaid retaining member.

4. In a fastener, the combination of, a strap comprising a U shapedmember comprising flexible arms adapted to guide displacement offlexible elements adapted to be mounted on said member, a retainingmember having openings adapted to receive said arms, the latter beingfoldable against said retaining member and a, cover having a hingedconnection with said retaining member and longitudinally slidablerelative to the latter and adapted to be bodily swung against saidfolded arms tohold the latter against said retaining member.

5. In a fastener, the combination of, a U shaped member comprisingfoldable arms adapted to guide displacement of flexible elements adaptedto be mounted on said member, a retaining member having openings adaptedto receive said arms, the latter being foldable against said retainingmember and a cover having a hinged connection with said retaining memberand adapted to be bodily swung towards said folded flexible arms to holdthe latter against said retaining member,

' said connection having means to permit lateral displacement of saidcover relative to said retaining member, the latter and said coverhaving means adapted to disconnectably interlock and hold said coveragainst said folded arms.

6. In a fastener, the combination of, a U shaped member comprisingfoldable arms adapted to guide displacement of flexible elements adaptedto be mounted on said member, a retaining member having openings adaptedto receive said arms, the latter being foldable against said retainingmember, and a cover having a hinged-connection with said retainingmember and adapted to be, bodily swung downwardly towards said foldedflexible arms to hold the latter against said retaining member, saidconnection having means to permit lateral displacement of said coverrelative to said retaining member, the latter and said cover havingmeans adapted to disconnectably .interlock for holding said coveragainst said folded arms, said folded arms in the disconnectableinterlocking relation of said cover and retaining member cooperatingwith said cover to prevent lateral displacement of the latter.

7. In a fastener, a strap having spaced flexible arms, a retainingmember removably mounted on said arms, the latter being foldable towardssaid member, a locking cover, a bead carried by said member, and a beadcarried by said cover slidably associated with the aforementioned beadof said member, the beads of said cover and member constituting a hingedconnection permitting said cover to be swung bodily towards and awayfrom said retaining member.

having foldable arms, a retaining member having means for receiving saidarms, and a cover having a hinged and slidable connection with saidmember, said cover being adapted to be swung against said arms toposition the latter against said member, said member having spaced guideportions, said cover having means adapted to be slidably guided by saidguide portions during the lateral displacement of said cover.

11. In a fastener, the combination of, a retaining member, a coverhaving a hinged and slidable connection with said member, the lattercomprising a longitudinally disposed bead having spaced recesses, thecover including spaced heads defining a recess adapted to straddle aportion of I said first mentioned bead for disposing said spaced beadsof said cover in said spaced recesses in the unlocked and closedposition'of said cover, said spaced beads of the cover during lateraldisplacement thereof adapted to removably interlock with saidlongitudinally disposed bead of said retaining member.

12. In a fastener, the combination of, a strap having foldable arms, aretaining member adapted to receive said arms, a cover and a slidableand hinged connection between said cover and.

interlocking means to prevent rearward displacement of said coverrelative to said member and to hold said terminals against said member.,

14. In a fastener, the combination of, a strap having foldableterminals, a retaining member removably' receiving said terminals, acover, a slidable and hinged connection between said cover and member,said cover being swingable about a rear longitudinal edge of said memberand against said terminals to position the latter against said memberand locking means effective upon lateral displacement of said cover inone direction to hold said cover closed.

15. In a fastener, the combination of, a strap having foldable arms, aretaining member removably mounted on said arms, a cover, a slidable andhinged connection between said cover and member, means to limit lateraldisplacement of said cover relative to said member, said coverbeingswingable relative to said member to position said arms againstthelatter, said cover and member having locking means effective uponlateral displacement of said cover in one direction to hold said coveragainst said arms to position the latter against said member, saidlocking means being disconectable upon lateral displacement of saidcover in an opposite direction to open the latter.

16. The fastener according to claim 15 characterized further in thatupon disconnection of said locking means, said arms automatically raisesaid cover.

1'7. In a fastener, the combination of, a strap having flexible arms, aretaining member removably guided by said arms and a cover, said coverand member having longitudinally disposed reflexed portions defining aslidable and swingable telescopic connection permitting said cover to beselectively laterally displaced relative to said member or permittingsaid cover to be swung bodily towards or away from said member, means tolimit lateral displacement of said cover, said cover and membercomprising a telescopic'disconnectable interlocking connection to holdsaid cover closed and hold said arms against said retaining member.

, cover and member.

is disposedat corresponding front sides of said 19. In a fastener, thecombination of, complementary removably associated clamping membersadapted to secure a plurality of flexible elements, one of said memberscomprising flexible and' foldable arms the other complementary memberconstituting a retaining member adapted to receive said arms, a coverslidable laterally relative to said retaining member and hingedlycarried thereby, means to limit lateral displacement of said coverrelative to said retaining member, said cover being bodily swingabletowards said flexible arms to hold the latter in clamping relationagainst said retaining member, said cover and retaining membercomprising disconnectable interlocking means effective upon lateraldisplacement of said cover relative to said retaining 10 member to holdsaid cover closed.

JACK LINSKY.

